1 Kings 12:22-32

22 Forsooth the word of God was made to Shemaiah, the man of God, and said,
23 Speak thou to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and of Benjamin, and to the residue of the people, and say thou,
24 The Lord saith these things, Ye shall not go up, neither ye shall fight against your brethren, the sons of Israel; turn each man again into his house, for this word is done of me (every man return to his house, for this word is from me). (And) They heard the word of the Lord, and they turned again from the journey, as the Lord commanded to them.
25 And Jeroboam builded Shechem, in the hill of Ephraim, and dwelled there (Then Jeroboam built Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there); and he went out from thence, and builded Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the realm shall turn again to the house of David, (And Jeroboam said in his heart, Even now the kingdom shall return to the house of David,)
27 if this people ascendeth to Jerusalem, that it make sacrifice in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and then the heart of this people shall turn again to their lord, Rehoboam, king of Judah; and they shall slay me, and shall turn again to him. (if these people goeth up to Jerusalem, to make sacrifice in the House of the Lord in Jerusalem; for then the heart of these people shall return to their lord, Rehoboam, the king of Judah; and they shall kill me, and they shall return to him.)
28 And by counsel thought out, Jeroboam made twain golden calves, and he said to the people, Do not ye ascend more into Jerusalem; Israel, lo! thy gods, that led thee out of the land of Egypt. (And so, by counsel carefully thought out, Jeroboam made two gold calves, and he said to the people, Do not ye go up to Jerusalem any more; Israel, lo! thy gods, that led thee out of the land of Egypt.)
29 And he set one calf in Bethel, and the tother in Dan.
30 And this word was made to Israel into sin; for the people went into Dan, to worship the calf. (And this thing became a sin in Israel; and some people went all the way up to Dan to worship the calf there.)
31 And Jeroboam made temples in high places (And Jeroboam made temples at the hill shrines), and he made priests (out) of the last men of the people, the which were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And the king ordained a solemn day in the eighth month, in the fifteen day of the month, by [the] likeness of the solemnity that was hallowed in Judah. And the king went up, and made in like manner an altar in Bethel, that he should offer to the calves, which he had made; and he ordained in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made. (And the king ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteen day of the month, like the feast that was kept in Judah. And the king went up to Bethel, and offered on the altar that he had made to the calves, which he had made; and he ordered the priests of the hill shrines, to serve at the altar in Bethel, which he had made.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.